Future WARTHINK 048: To B-47 or NOT B-47?
USAF B-47 Stratojet losses, our Loss Today...
Before we dive—we love to make fun of the USAF penchant for comfy air bases that clouds their way of war—rightly so.
However,
USAF AIRMEN DIE REGULARLY and OFTEN ever since they began flying…more so than mostly land-bound, Army Soldiers and braggart marines, so STFU.
The Airman can DIE TODAY as in seconds after he gets near an aircraft.
Game over. Audition for God?
Over.
Keep this reality in mind as you read below.
Largely overshadowed by the 8x-engined, B-52 Stratofortress, and largely forgotten since the 1970s, the 6x-engined, Boeing B-47 Stratojet was an early U.S. jet bomber, and the successor to the famed--but technically flawed, B-29/B-50 Superfortress bomber series the former which encountered "Foo Fighters" in WW2:
https://www.bitchute.com/video/rvtAdqjgP3FA/
Step back everyone and look at this from afar: crash-proof, shoot-down-proof, psychopath General Curtis LeMay was in charge of SAC at the time. Before that in WW2, he flew B-17s and B-29s into many combats but came out unscathed. LeMay's cavalier attitude ignoring B-29 fatal flaws "we will test them in combat" led to thousands of crashes and fiery deaths. HE should have chomped on his cigar and did some B-47 toss bombing to see if his evil supernatural helpers would continue subsidizing his cavalier rule sending others to their deaths--or hopefully NOT. LeMay almost instigated nuclear WW3 in Cuba in 1962--had it not been for POTUS JFK over-ruling him. LeMay participated in the Dulles CIA executing group ambush murder of JFK; smoking a cigar at the latter's autopsy.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/X7lA22gUdTgV/
Yet another example of what happens when WE THE PEOPLE stop being directly involved with LIFE and instead turn functions over to a micro-bureaucracy full of greedego snobs indifferent to the suffering/deaths of people they deem superior to.
War futurist, Jacob Dreizin notes:
“The Federal Government will do anything that it can get past public opinion, at any given time.”
50% of the USSAF's flawed design B-29s Were Destroyed by TBATE--NOT enemy TBAM; Exploited by USMC for Iwo Jima Fiasco to Justify their Existence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuKceC2Nxbo
fludblud
Thats the point, [General] Curtis LeMay famously remarked that 'we'll test them in combat' in order to get these bombers to the front line as fast as possible. Boeing had built only two prototypes before full scale production commenced which meant the entire original 2,500 production run of the first B-29s was itself the test with the crashes and bodies to back it up. Only after the new Pratt and Whitney engines were fitted to the B-29D/B-50 variants after the war was the problem actually fixed.
Paul Slevinsky
I read a good article about a young flight engineer on the B-29 that found out why the engines were losing oil...the cause of frequent engine fires. He saw a wisp of oil on the pushrod tube of a hot engine, near the rubber seal. Suspecting that the rubber was swelling in the extreme heat and losing its ability to seal, the bright young man made a full set of heat shields for one engine (36 pushrod tubes) from old felt-lined flying boots. Upon returning from his next mission he saw that the retrofitted engine had lost almost no oil while the other three were nearly dry. His discovery was reported up the chain where Boeing/Wright then set about the task of solving the problem more elegantly.
John Gaither
The cowl flap issue would never have occurred if the engine overheating problem had not been so severe. Accord to my dad, who was a B-29 navigator, engine fire and a runaway prop were the two most feared failures. He survived both due the skill of his AC. Dad hated the B-29 and often said the plane came far closer to killing him then the Japanese ever did.
Jim Finlaw
Nice video. My father was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress pilot in 1945 when he was stationed at MacDill Army Air Field in Tampa, Florida. He loved this airplane so much that my father postponed his wedding to my mother twice just so he could learn how to fly the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. My father had been an instructor pilot in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Consolidated B-24 Liberators and Martin B-26 Marauders. He had flown 5 combat missions in Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers for the 512th BS, 376th BG, Twelfth Air Force before he was sent back to the states to become an instructor pilot. One requirement the Army had for their instructor pilots was they had to have combat experience. My father was one of the U.S. Army Air Forces top multi-engine pilots when he graduated from the advanced multi-engine training school at Moody Field near Valdosta, Georgia in 1944 where he achieved not only the single highest advanced multi-engine score in his class, but he also achieved the second highest advanced multi-engine score the U.S. Army Air Force ever had recorded during and throughout WWII! Yes, he was indeed that good, but he was also very quiet, laid back and modest as to just how good of a multi-engine pilot he really was. General Charles "Chuck" Sweeney had the single highest multi-engine score the Army Air Force ever recorded and he flew the Nagasaki mission and Bob Cardenas had the third highest multi-engine score the U.S. Army Air Force ever had recorded during WWII where he later flew the B-29 mother ship so Chuck Yeager could break the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X1 rocket plane; so my father was in pretty good company when it came to multi-engine scores. In flying the B-29, dad soon called the Wright R-3350 engines on the B-29 wrong engines and flame throwers because they had a nasty tendency to overheat and sometimes catch on fire. The cowl flaps were a big problem on the B-29 because they generated so much drag when they were extended and its true they were electrically operated, which turned out to be a major design flaw.
Another design flaw in the B-29 engine bay were parts made of magnesium. Some engine fires inside the engine bay would burn so hot that it would easily cause these magnesium parts to ignite. Along with the cooling air coming into the engine nacelle during flight, this burning magnesium fire would act like a blow torch, which would easily burn holes clear through the engine nacelles firewall, breaching it and would proceed to melt the main wing spar structure. I'm certain some B-29's were lost because of this fatal flaw as well. On takeoff, the B-29's engine cylinder head temperatures were redlined at 289 degrees Fahrenheit, but on hot muggy days down in Tampa, Florida, dad said the engine cylinder head temperatures in his B-29 were reading well above 320 degrees Fahrenheit on takeoff. He had to rev the engines up that high and keep the cowl flaps closed or else the airplane would never get off the ground. Over the entrance to MacDill Field there was a sign over the entrance to the base that read "Two a day in Tampa Bay," but to be fair, the base was averaging aircraft losses of two aircraft a week. Not all aircraft lost were B-29's; this also included a few B-17's, B-24's and Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers as well. Most of these wrecked bombers were plucked out of Tampa Bay from barges and brought back to the base where they were cannibalized for usable parts. As it turned out, dad missed the war in the Pacific flying B-29's by just two weeks. The war had ended just two weeks to the day before he and his assigned B-29 crew were to report for combat duty at North West Field in Guam in the Mariana Islands, but those orders were rescinded. Dad stayed in the service until 1946 when he transferred to what was then the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves until in 1947 when it became the U.S. Air Force Reserves where he later went on to fly the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber in the mid-1950's. He retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1957.
Colin ONeill
My grandmother's cousin was a commander of a B29 bomb group flying out of India. On Nov 5, 1944, he took a plane (not his, as a commander he didn't have his own plane) on a night bomb run to Singapore. During the flight, the plane ("Lethal Lady") caught on fire over the Bay of Bengal and was lost. Speculation was that the engine overheated, caught on fire. With all that magnesium, it didn't take long. Ted S. Faulkner had been an army pilot before the war. In fact, he was the pilot of the secret B-24 that was at Hickam on Dec 7th. His plane was on the tarmac being serviced and was hit by a bomb. His plane was the first American plane lost in WWII, and two of his crew were the first US airmen lost in WWII. Later, he flew B-17's and was part of the flight that took the Phillipine president out of the Phillipines.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56782293/ted-sinclair-faulkner
****
Video above cites cowl flaps and engines desperately needing cooling air lest they catch fire but doesn't mention that once a flammable MAGNESIUM B-29 filled with 5, 000s gallons of highly volatile gasoline caught fire you had less than 60s seconds to bail-out before it crumpled into a fireball
So if, the USAAF had it's B-29 design act together it wouldn't have been able to collude with the USMC into the Iwo Jima invasion-for-airbase disaster
Pattern Analysis
Clearly, ALL B-47 losses took place from 1951 to 1967 when they were flown in high-g maneuvers to skip bomb which cracked their fuel tanks causing leaks then EXPLOSIONS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ralCYMaxXnI
War futurist, BlacktailFA writes:
"The B-47 Stratojet had horrendous losses, with more than 300x (15% of the entire fleet) being lost in accidents after less than 15 years of operational service. These were the product of numerous engine failures, control system failures, and structural failures--just to name a few.
The majority of the B-47's losses, however, stemmed for a stupid decision by the USAF (Br)asshats. Nuclear bombs had becomes so much more powerful so quickly, that directly overflying the target was becoming increasingly less viable, so they decided to use "toss-bombing" tactics (also called "LABS", or the "Low Altitude Bombing System"). Releasing a bomb during ascent into an Immelman Turn transforms it into a ballistic projectile; traveling an arc similar to a mortar shell, and allowing the attacking aircraft to be moving at a high speed and altitude in the opposite direction--long before the bomb hits the ground. Here is a graphic demonstrating toss bombing;
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Long-Toss.jpeg
Herein lies the problem; a combat Immelman Turn at high speed, and with a heavy payload, exerts huge G-forces on the aircraft performing a toss-bombing attack, and with it, lots of structural strain. That's not much of an issue for an aircraft actually *designed* to withstand those forces, but the huge B-47 wasn't one of them, so rapid metal fatigue set-in. The practice of B-47 toss-bombing during exercises was so widespread for so long that by the time the USAF realized what happened, virtually the whole production run was compromised. The (Br)asshats either never consulted any aeronautical engineers before making this decision, or they ignored their input ---[Mandarin Helm Supremacy] a distinction without a difference. Ultimately, aside from a few odd hangers-on, all of the [worn-out] B-47s were retired only 15x years after they achieved IOC.
Given that the B-52 was a further development of the B-47, and the extraordinary longevity the B-52 has demonstrated, this was a HUGE lost opportunity. B-47s could have been retained in the long-term as electronic surveillance aircraft, cruise missile carriers, tankers, or in other specialist roles, or even still be used to drop lots of iron bombs on the enemy (a few-hundred extra loitering bombers would have been much welcomed by ISAF troops over Afghanistan), and could have still been doing to to this very day. We'll never know what the B-47 could have accomplished, because a bunch of [Mandarin micro-bureaucrat] pencilnecks thought it was a great idea to maneuver them like fighters on a regular basis.
But why the obsession with toss-bombing?
It's not just because of the dangers posed by the nuclear blast--but also enemy air defenses.
Soviet fighters and air defenses were becoming increasingly more dangerous in the 1950s, especially with the introduction of SAMs, and rather than immediately developing new bombers (which [Br]asshats believe could give the impression that the existing ones they've recently lobbied heavily for aren't good enough), rapidly expand their electronic warfare capabilities (see my last comment), or improving the fighter/attacker/interdictor fleet to more adequately protect the bombers (which World War 2 proved to be a viable strategy, but would involve SAC having to collaborate with their most hated enemy --- TAC), the (Br)asshats instead opted to reinforce their bombers with *COPE*.
Also, you'll notice that I've attached a list of B-47 losses to this E-mail. You'll find that it's incomplete, and missing lots of information, but it represents everything I could find on this topic using [OSINT] internet sources. I still have yet to do an analysis of the causes and components of the B-47's losses, but you'll see that about 15% were lost in accidents. That may look impressive at first, until you realize that it was almost all of the B-47's losses occurred between 1951 and 1966 (a 15x-year period); by contrast, the B-52 lost 15% of it's production run to accidents over the span of 60x years of continuous operational service, with the lion's share of these losses being caused by the disastrous (and short-lived) B-52C. The A-10, F-15, and F-16 also have had a roughly 15% attrition rate by the year 2020, but that was after service spans for each of these aircraft that were almost 2.5x times as long as the B-47. The B-47 is also notable for suffering double-digit losses for 12 years in a row. Moreover, the B-52, A-10, F-15, and F-16 were also used VERY heavily in many different air wars, and the F-15 and F-16 were used by many different nations; neither can be said of the B-47, which had few combat encounters, and was never deployed to an active battlefield.
Also, on a side-note, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Just prior to World War 2, while the Luftwaffe was testing the new Heinkel He 177 Greif bomber (destined to be the Luftwaffe's only operational long-range bomber), they decided it would be re-purposed as a *dive bomber* (which, incidentally, exherts substantially greater strain on the airframe than even toss-bombing). Ernst Heinkel warned the Luftwaffe against this, but the (Br)asshats wouldn't be swayed. Unsurprisingly, many He 177s broke-apart in mid-air, either during these dive-bombing runs, or later due to the rapidly increased metal fatigue.
****
Design Analysis
The tube & wing B-47 design is inherently weak and should have been replaced by sturdier Burnelli blended wing body designs.
www.aircrash.org
The tube & wing, Boeing 4x-engined 707/KC-135s flown sedately straight & level without high-g maneuvering have far better safety records.
Moreover, the complexity of 6x engines vis-a-vis The Battle Against The Earth (TBATE) which caused lots of fires, explosions and crashes and deaths is questionable as a value added for marginally bigger payloads.
The even more complex 8x-engined B-52 also has a better safety record than the B-47 but hasn't been put thru high-g aerobatics but is flow sedately like 707s/KC-135s.
The UNsafe volatility of JP-4 jet fuel comes into question here; today's JP-8 is a bit safer--but still not good enough. Did B-47s have self-sealing fuel tanks?
The 20mm tail Gatling gun didn't seem to prevent USSR fighters shooting RB-47s down. Why not Sidewinder AAMs facing rear-ward?
Why not a parasite fighter on the TOP of the B-47 to launch and ward off any MIG attackers like the successful German Mistel combinations did in WW2:
www.combatreform.org/axisandalliedspecialoperationsaviation.htm
It's also apparent that just ejecting and parachuting is not good enough and air bags on the lower legs/pelvis could have saved dozens of airmen.
www.combatreform.org/escape.htm
Tactical Analysis
The threat of being caught on the ground prompted the UNsafe nuclear bombs-on-board alert conditions of SAC bombers. RATO bottles for faster take-offs also compounded safety.
Why not have B-47s in hardened, dispersed, camouflaged shelters at angles and play "shell game" with them to keep Soviet spy satellites guessing which planes had nukes on board?
The P6M SeaMaster jet seaplane bomber could have been operated from dispersed surface ship and/or submarine resupply "sea bases" to avoid being "caught on the water".
www.combatreform.org/p6mseamaster.htm
Flying aloft continuously 24x hours or more by Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) using Heavier-Than-Air (HTA) airplanes is fundamentally UNsound and UNsafe. Many of the B-47s explosions took place doing AAR. It seems prudent that if you want/need to stay aloft 24/7 then use Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) airships:
www.combatreform.org/airborneaircraftcarriers.htm
We realize human beings get set in their ways and the USAF--particularly SAC--cool patch, by the way!--"don't do airships".
Nor does TAC or whatever they call themselves today.
The point is THEY NEED TO DO LTA--both the USN who has "done" them in WW2 combat successfully that can't keep overly-complex fighter air cover aloft over their 720 degree, Non-Linear Battlefield, (720 NLB) vulnerable TIN CAN surface ships as well as an USAF on nuclear WW3 alert.
Today's hybrid LTA airships have aerofoil shapes and heaviness to work safely against adverse winds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3n5cUaG5fg
HTA aircraft would be on TOP of the LTA airship mother ship ready-to-launch while the combination patrols for 24/7 insuring at least SOME air cover is not caught on the ground.
Political Analysis
The high subsonic speed, nuclear-capable, B-47 represented such a threat to the exiled 4th Reich German Nazis in Argentina/Antarctica, that in that year they began reconnaissance flights over the Boeing plant in their flying wing and/or Anti-Gravity Craft (AGC) precipitating the IMHO former OSS LTC, Kenneth Arnold's "flying saucer" incident which is forever tied to the birth of the USAF since its first 2x airmen killed were flying slag debris from the nearby Maury island UFO sighting when mysteriously their B-25 Mitchell bomber's engines caught fire causing the enlisted crew to bail-out safely. An USMC C-46 transport plane full of marines was shot down by 20mm autocannon fire--the tradfemark weapon of the German Luftwaffe and Arnold was looking for the wreckage near Mount Ranier in Washington state. FBI agent Guy Bannister pasrticipant in the Dulles CIA group ambush that murdered President JFK infamy was in the region's field office at the time to make matters even more weird.
https://jamesbondisreal.blogspot.com/2021/04/think-055-german-flying-saucers-since.html
The USAF created the DISinformation lie, misdirection of Extra-Terrestrials (E.T.s) to hide their advanced aerospace weapons programs not averse to communicating with evil spirits aka demons to get technoego biscuits from that point on. To grab the public's attention by their bovine "balls", cattles were techno-exotically mutilated to be the literal "ox gored" to trigger enrage ranchers who gravitated on cue to the E.T. deception story.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/IugSlNaImwUO/
If the B-47 was sooo fast and sooo great, why were they not sent to combat in Korea before the war ended in 1953?which were all over the skies over Korea.
RB-47s were shot down doing doing spy missions over the USSR by mere MIG-15s
www.combatreform.org/airrecon.htm
General Curtis LeMay commander of SAC at the time was an evil man supernaturally helped to be "bullet-proof" during both European and Japanese B-17/B-29 bombing missions while all around him thousands of men went down in flames. LeMay unsafely smoked cigars while flying his bombers and whrn gloating over the JFK autopsy in Maryland after the Dulles CIA group ambush murdered our elected POTUS. LeMay wanted to invade nuclear-armed Cuba in 1962 but JFK vetoed him so began a life-time hatred culminating in him participating in the coup that murdered our President.
LeMay was oblivious to the high-g antics causing B-47s to crack, leak, burn and explode--as well as their carrying nuclear bombs on board which fell or melted in the infernos but fortunately did not go off.
One must conclude whatever religious affiliation LeMay claimed he was a practicing psychopath and probable Satanist likely that he rose to the top of the NSA 47 bastard USAF micro-bureaucracy itself a culture of immoral Douhet strategic civilian bombing, TOTAL WAR madness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwK9jWbkBxQ
Sources
http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/B-47.html
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/type/b47
https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/in-memory-of-a-plane-crash/article_b821f15f-ecee-5d19-baac-0f1ead5c9edc.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20170623115401/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/B-47.htm
https://militaryhistorynow.com/2018/09/16/broken-bombers-how-the-u-s-military-covered-up-fatal-flaws-in-the-b-47-stratojet-with-disastrous-results/
https://web.archive.org/web/20150709114519/http://www.march.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123227987#
https://web.archive.org/web/20110713211702/http://www.lincolnkings.com/lafb/crashdigest.htm#
http://www.adirondack-park.net/history/b47.wright.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1955%E2%80%931959)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1960%E2%80%931974)
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/navyserials.html
Dates to remember...
First flight: 1947
Production started: 1950
Entered service: 1951
Production ended: 1956
Retired (bombers): 1966
Retired (recon): 1963
Retired (EW): 1977
Last flight: 1986*
(*: This was a one-off flight, with the aircraft in question flying a one-way trip to a location where it went display. Aside from bombers being flown on such flights, or flying their last flight to the boneyard, there were few after 1977, and almost none after 1980)
Specific operational lifespans, major production models...
B-47A: 1951-1952 (1 year)
B-47B: 1951-1957 (6 years)
TB-47B: 1953-1956 (3 years)
YRB-47B: 1953-1954 (1 year)
DB-47B: 1955-1957 (2 years)
B-47E: 1953-1966 (13 years)
EB-47E: 1955-1977 (22 years)
RB-47E: 1953-1957 (4 years)
WB-47E: 1963-1969 (6 years)
RB-47H: 1955-1967 (12 years)
RB-47K: 1955-1963 (8 years)
EB-47L: 1963-1965 (2 years)
Number built...
XB-47: 2
B-47A: 10
B-47B: 399
YRB-47B: 91 (converted from B-47Bs)
TB-47B: 66 (converted from B-47Bs)
MB-47B: 0
YDB-47B: 1 (converted from a B-47B)
DB-47B: 63 (converted from B-47Bs)
KB-47B: 2 (converted from B-47Bs)
CL-52: 1 (converted from a B-47B)
YB-47C: 0
B-47C: 0
XB-47D: 2 (converted from B-47Bs)
B-47D: 0
B-47E: 1341
EB-47E: 43 (converted from B-47Bs)
RB-47E: 240 (converted from B-47Es)
YDB-47E: 2 (converted from B-47Es)
DB-47E: 0
JB-47E: ???
JTB-47E: 2 (converted from B-47Es)
NB-47E: 1 (converted from a B-47E)
WB-47E: 34 (converted from B-47Es)
B-47H: 0
RB-47H: 32
ERB-47H: 3
YB-47J: 1 (converted from a B-47E)
B-47J: 0
B-47K: 0
RB-47K: 15
B-47L: 0
EB-47L: 36 (converted from B-47Es)
B-56A: 0
Total: 2,032
Losses in accidents
1947
No losses?
1948
No losses?
1949
No losses?
1950
No losses?
1951
19-MAR-1951, #49-1904 (B-47A): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] Was the 5th B-47A, and the 7th B-47.
08-AUG-1951, #49-2645 (B-47B): Caught fire on the tarmac while fueling and burned-up. No aircrew aboard. Was the 4th B-47B.
18-AUG-1951, #46-0065 (XB-47): Stalled on approach and crash-landed. 2 aircrew survived. [More information needed] Was the first B-47.
18-AUG-1951, #49-1906 (B-47A): Ground-looped on landing and landed hard; was a write-off. 3 aircrew safely egressed. Was the 7th B-47A, and the 9th B-47.
01-SEP-1951, #50-0007 (B-47B): Collided in mid-air with B-47B #50-0004 and crashed. Aircrew of 2 were killed instantly.
01-SEP-1951, #50-0004 (TB-47B): Collided in mid-air with B-47B #50-0007, but recovered and landed safely; was a write-off. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] Re-purposed as a ground trainer.
01-SEP-1951, #50-0024 (B-47B): Collided in mid-air with B-47B #50-0007 and crashed. Aircrew of 2 were killed instantly.
15-NOV-1951, #50-0011 (TB-47B): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] Re-purposed as a ground trainer.
19-NOV-1951, #50-0006 (B-47B): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
19-NOV-1951, #50-0008 (TB-47B): Broke-apart in mid-air. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
03-DEC-1951, #50-0019 (JTB-47B): Written-off in a landing mishap. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
21-DEC-1951, #50-0014 (B-47B): Broke-apart in mid-air. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
1952
26-MAR-1952, #50-0026 (B-47B): Stalled on RATO take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
11-APR-1952, #50-0038 (B-47B): Ran out of fuel on approach (poor fuel management) and crashed into the sea short of runway. Aircrew of 3 ejected safely.
24-JUN-1952, #51-2048 (B-47B): Stalled on approach and crashed. 3 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
02-JUL-1952, #51-2164 (DB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
03-JUL-1952, #50-0065 (B-47B): Caught fire in mid-air and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
22-JUL-1952, #50-0081 (B-47B): Exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly. 2 civilian bystanders on the ground were killed by the wreckage, and 3 others seriously injured. The bystander victims were all children
21-NOV-1952, #50-0059 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
17-DEC-1952, #50-0033 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
1953
03-FEB-1953, #50-0073 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
21-FEB-1953, #51-2392 (B-47E): Caught fire on the tarmac and burned-up. No aircrew aboard. Was still at the factory.
21-FEB-1953, #51-2389 (B-47E): Caught fire on the tarmac and burned-up. No aircrew aboard. Was still at the factory.
19-MAR-1953, #51-2085 (B-47B): Bounced hard on landing; was a write-off. Aircrew safely egressed. [More information needed]
26-MAR-1953, #50-0035 (B-47B): Stalled on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed. More information needed]
09-JUN-1953, #50-0077 (ETB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
24-JUN-1953, #50-0055 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
30-JUN-1953, #51-2071 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
02-JUL-1953, #51-2267 (B-47B): Stalled in a low-altitude turn during approach and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
24-JUL-1953, #51-2253 (YRB-47B): Skidded off the runway on landing and crash-landed. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
29-JUL-1953, #51-2116 (B-47B): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
07-SEP-1953, #51-2226 (YRB-47B): Ground-looped on landing, crash-landed, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
13-OCT-1953, #51-2096 (B-47B): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
15-OCT-1953, #50-0034 (TB-47B): Crashed on landing. 1 aircrew was killed. More information needed]
03-DEC-1953, #51-2440 (B-47E): Caught fire during AAR and exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly.
16-DEC-1953, #50-0028 (TB-47B): Stalled on landing, cartwheeled, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
18-DEC-1953, #51-2346 (B-47B): Engine failed on take-off and crashed. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
1954
08-JAN-1954, #51-2089 (TB-47B): Crashed on landing. 2 aircrew were killed on impact; 1 aircrew egressed, but was injured.
30-JAN-1954, #51-7045 (B-47E): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
08-FEB-1954, #52-0023 (B-47E): Struck a tree on approach and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
22-FEB-1954, #52-0053 (B-47E): Exploded on the tarmac during fueling. No aircrew aboard. 1 bystander was killed in the blast.
05-MAR-1954, #51-2416 (B-47E): Engine failed on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
16-MAR-1954, #50-0063 (TB-47B): Collided in mid-air with B-47E #51-2092 in a low-level flight and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed instantly. B-47E #51-2092 recovered and landed safely; was repaired and returned to service.
16-MAR-1954, #51-2063 (TB-47B): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] Had briefly been a YRB-47B.
30-APR-1954, #51-2232 (EB-47B): Tail struck boundary fence on approach, caught fire on landing, and burned-up. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
10-JUN-1954, #51-5252 (B-47E): Pilot became disoriented in mid-air after AAR, lost control, stalled, and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact.
21-JUN-1954, #52-0229 (B-47E): Bomb bay caught fire in mid-air and crashed. Aircrw of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
26-JUN-1954, #51-2151 (B-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
20-JUL-1954, #51-17385 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. 1 aircrew was killed; 3 aircrew survived. [More information needed] Blamed on "pilot error".
27-JUL-1954, #50-0001 (TB-47B): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
06-AUG-1954, #51-2382 (B-47E): Stalled on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
06-AUG-1954, #51-2383 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
24-SEP-1954, #52-0285 (B-47E): Missed runway on approach and crashed. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
18-OCT-1954, #51-2437 (B-47E): Crashed on landing. 1 aircrew killed on impact; 3 aircrew egressed, but were injured. [More information needed]
29-OCT-1954, #52-0770 (RB-47E): Stalled in mid-air, entered an unrecoverable spin, and crashed. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 3 aircrew were killed on impact.
25-NOV-1954, #52-0083 (B-47E): Written-off in a landing accident. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
10-DEC-1954, #51-2100 (B-47B): Ran out of fuel in mid-air and crashed. Aircrew of 4 ejected safely.
1955
05-JAN-1955, #52-0029 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with B-47E #51-7006 during AAR and crashed. 1 aircrew ejected, but was never found; 3 aircrew were killed instantly. B-47E #51-7006 recovered and landed safely; was repaired and returned to service; 1 aircrew was killed.
05-JAN-1955, #52-0032 (B-47E): Written-off in a landing accident. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
06-JAN-1955, #51-2086 (B-47B): Stalled in mid-air, entered an unrecoverable spin, and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact.
24-JAN-1955, #52-0054 (B-47E): Braking chute failed on landing, missed runway, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
12-FEB-1955, #51-7033 (B-47E): Engine exploded in mid-air, blew-off wing, and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed on impact. One of the survivors suffered frostbite so bad, he had to have a leg amputated.
17-FEB-1955, #51-2066 (WB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
28-FEB-1955, #52-0045 (B-47E): Crashed into a trailer park on approach. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed] 2 civilian bystanders on the ground were also killed.
15-MAR-1955, #52-0490 (B-47E): Crashed on landing. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed. [More information needed]
16-MAR-1955, #52-0046 (B-47E): Botched multiple landing attempts, ran out of fuel in mid-air, and was abandoned in mid-air. Aircrew of 3 ejected safely.
14-APR-1955, #50-0070 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
15-APR-1955, #53-2277 (B-47E): Caught fire on take-off and crashed into the sea. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
01-MAY-1955, #52-0386 (B-47E): Engine failed on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
31-MAY-1955, #51-7073 (B-47E): Stalled on take-off, crashed, and burned-up. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
23-JUN-1955, #52-0712 (RB-47E): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
11-JUL-1955, #52-0723 (RB-47E): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
21-JUL-1955, #51-2112 (B-47B): Overran runway on landing, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
25-JUL-1955, #52-0221 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
02-AUG-1955, #52-0397 (B-47E): Aborted take-off, but had too much momentum, overran runway, and landing gear was badly damaged; was a write-off. Aircrew of 4 fate unknown. [More information needed] B-47E #52-0397 wasn't actually written-off in the take-off itself, but in a botched recovery effort when the crane being used to lift it failed; the fuselage broke-apart on impact, and was beyond repair.
18-AUG-1955, #50-0029 (TB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
18-AUG-1955, #52-0282 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
03-OCT-1955, #53-1847 (B-47E): Engine caught fire during AAR, lost control, and exploded. 1 aircrew ejected, but was seriously injured; 2 aircrew were killed instantly.
04-OCT-1955, #52-0580 (B-47E): Caught fire on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 4 ejected safely.
13-OCT-1955, #51-2231 (B-47B): Crashed on take-off; cause was never determined. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
14-OCT-1955, #52-0500 (B-47E): Crashed on landing; pilot was lined-up for the wrong runway. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
20-OCT-1955, #51-2173 (DB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
21-OCT-1955, #52-0336 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact. [More information needed] Blamed on the Aircraft Commander (who was also the sole survivor), for "allowing the aircraft to loose altitude during the climb".
04-NOV-1955, #51-2138 (B-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
08-NOV-1955, #51-7035 (B-47E): Exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 3 were killed instantly.
30-NOV-1955, #52-0785 (RB-47E): Stalled on approach and crash-landed into a field. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
01-DEC-1955, #52-0301 (B-47E): Exploded on the tarmac. No aircrew aboard. Claimed by several sources to have been a mid-air explosion, but this wasn't the case.
19-DEC-1955, #51-2286 (B-47B): Collided in mid-air with B-47E #52-0535 and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly. Had been a YRB-47B.
19-DEC-1955, #52-0535 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with B-47E #51-2286 and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly.
1956
03-JAN-1956, #52-0070 (B-47E): Struck a telephone pole during a sharp low-level turn on approach and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact.
05-FEB-1956, #53-1831 (B-47E): Struck high-tensile wires on take-off, engines caught fire, and crash-landed on a ranch. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
07-FEB-1956, #53-2304 (B-47E): Crashed on landing. 1 aircrew egressed, but was injured; 1 aircrew egressed, but was seriously injured; no other aircrew aboard. [More information needed]
10-FEB-1956, #??? (B-47): "Crashed". Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
10-FEB-1956, #??? (B-47): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
27-FEB-1956, #51-2344 (B-47B): Broke-apart on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
10-MAR-1956, #52-0534 (B-47E): Went missing. Aircrew of 4 missing and presumed dead. 2 nuclear bombs on board also went missing, and were never found. No trace of this aircraft or it's crew were ever found. The bombs were claimed to be unarmed, but that might have just been CYA.
28-MAR-1956, #51-2175 (B-47B): Exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 3 were killed instantly.
05-APR-1956, #??? (B-47): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
06-APR-1956, #53-4209 (B-47E): Caught fire on take-off and exploded. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly.
18-APR-1956, #??? (RB-47): Incident details unknown. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
02-MAY-1956, #52-0450 (B-47E): Crashed into a farm on approach. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
16-MAY-1956, #51-2442 (B-47E): Engine failed in mid-air, caught fire, and crashed into the sea. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed on impact.
26-JUN-1956, #52-0565 (B-47E): Lost control in mid-air during a violent crosswind, and crashed into a field. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
28-JUL-1956, #53-4230 (B-47E): Lost control on landing (porpoising), skidded off the runway, and crashed into a nuclear bomb storage igloo. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed] Was also carrying 3 nuclear bombs.
30-JUL-1956, #52-0572 (B-47E): Tire blew on take-off, overran runway, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
05-OCT-1956, #51-5230 (B-47E): Engine failed on take-off, stalled, and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact.
10-OCT-1956, #53-2301 (B-47E): Crashed-landed short of runway. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew egressed, but was seriously injured. [More information needed] Was on GCA control.
31-OCT-1956, #52-0151 (B-47E): Crashed on approach in bad weather. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew egressed, but was mortally wounded. [More information needed]
25-OCT-1956, #53-1933 (B-47E): Sprung fuel leak on take-off roll and caught fire on take-off; attempted an emergency landing, but braking chute failed, overshot runway, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
17-NOV-1956, #52-0369 (B-47E): Destroyed on the flight line when airborne F-80A #44-85234 crashed into it. No aircrew aboard. F-80A Shooting Star #44-85234 was also destroyed; pilot was killed on impact. 3 bystanders were also killed, and 4 injured.
17-NOV-1956, #53-4235 (B-47E): Destroyed while parked by crashing F-80A Shooting Star #44-85234. No aircrew aboard. F-80A Shooting Star #44-85234 was also destroyed; pilot was killed on impact. 3 bystanders were also killed, and 4 injured.
24-NOV-1956, #51-5233 (B-47E): Overran runway on landing, engine broke-off, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
06-NOV-1956, #51-2421 (B-47E): Engine failed in mid-air and crashed into a farm. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
30-NOV-1956, #52-3360 (B-47E): Hydraulics failed in mid-air, entered an unrecoverable spin, and crashed. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 3 aircrew were killed on impact. 2 nuclear bombs were on board, and were never found.
1957
15-JAN-1957, #52-0049 (B-47E): Caught fire on approach and crashed. 2 aircrew survived; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
24-JAN-1957, #51-2332 (B-4B): Collided with B-47B #51-2352 during formation AAR and crashed into the sea. Aircrew of 3 ejected safely.
24-JAN-1957, #51-2351 (B-47B): Collided with B-47B #51-2332 during formation AAR and crashed into the sea. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed instantly.
01-FEB-1957, #53-6198 (B-47E): Went missing over the sea approach. 4 aircrew missing and presumed dead.Only life jackets and pieces of the aircraft were ever found.
15-FEB-1957, #53-1832 (B-47E): Caught fire on the tarmac and burned-up. No aircrew aboard. 1 maintenance crewman was killed, and 9 others seriously injured.
02-MAR-1957, #51-2192 (DB-47B): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
07-MAR-1957, #53-2395 (B-47E): Caught fire on the tarmac and exploded. No aircrew aboard.
07-MAR-1957, #52-0439 (B-47E): Caught fire on the tarmac when B-47E 53-2395 exploded and burned-up. No aircrew aboard. 2 maintenance crewmen on board were injured (burns).
22-MAR-1957, #51-2265 (B-47B): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
05-APR-1957, #52-0456 (B-47E): Lost control on approach in a strong crosswind and crashed. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
07-APR-1957, #51-2425 (B-47E): Crashed into a mountain on approach. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed] Blamed on "pilot error". ASN only mentioned 3 aircrew, but Ejection History listed 4 by name and rank.
01-MAY-1957, #52-0761 (RB-47E): Stalled during AAR and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact.
24-MAY-1957, #53-2091 (B-47E): Lost control in bad weather and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact.
18-JUL-1957, #??? (B-47): Crashed into a river. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
18-JUL-1957, #51-7042 (B-47E): Crashed into a mountain in bad weather. 4 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
17-JUL-1957, #51-7031 (B-47E): Was overloaded on take-off, couldn't stay airborne, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. Was the 13th B-47E.
06-AUG-1957, #51-2102 (B-47B): Ground-looped on landing and crashed. 2 aircrew survived; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
08-AUG-1957, #52-0753 (RB-47E): Crashed on landing. Aircrew safely egressed (but number wasn't reported). [More information needed]
08-AUG-1957, #52-0754 (RB-47E): Crashed on landing. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
12-SEP-1957, #53-2282 (JB-47E): Hydraulics failed in mid-air, lost control, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
12-SEP-1957, #??? (B-47): "Crashed". 2 aircrew were killed; 2 aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
17-SEP-1957, #51-15811 (B-47E): Control systems failed in mid-air, stalled, and crashed into the sea. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew ejected, but were never found.
01-OCT-1957, #51-2317 (B-47B): Aborted take-off, but overran runway, landing gear collapsed, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
09-OCT-1957, #51-2177 (DB-47B): Broke-apart in mid-air during a demonstration flight. 4 aircrew were killed instantly. Pinecastle AFB in Florida was renamed McCoy AFB, after Colonel Michael N. W. McCoy, who was among the airmen who died in this explosion. The findings of the investigation into this crash were covered-up, to prevent the image of the B-47 in the eyes of Congress and the public; a cover-up that ended up spanning fifty years. Another member of the aircrew was Group Captain John Woodroffe, an officer from the RAF.
11-OCT-1957, #51-2139 (B-47B): Tire blew on take-off, lost control, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. A nuclear weapon was on board, but was undamaged in the crash.
24-OCT-1957, #53-1891 (B-47E): Exploded on the tarmac while under maintenance. 1 ground crewman was seriously injured (3rd degree burns to the face).
29-OCT-1957, #53-6229 (B-47E): Stalled in a toss-bombing run, entered a spin, and crashed into a farm. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
04-DEC-1957, #52-0241 (B-47E): Exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
06-DEC-1957, #52-0458 (B-47E): Aborted take-off too late in bad weather, overran runway, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
13-DEC-1957, #52-0186 (B-47E): Shut-down engines failed on approach, missed the runway, and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact. Accident was triggered by reacting to warning lights indicating engine failure, but the warning lights *themselves* were the system actually malfunctioning; the investigators found that none of the engines had malfunctioned.
See "Fate is the Hunter" book by aviator, Ernest Gann; movie starring Glenn Ford
18-DEC-1957, #50-0076 (TB-47B): Crashed into a mountaintop observatory on approach. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact. Investigation found the TB-47B was 8 miles off-course, and flying 5,000 ft lower than the approach minimum altitude. Aircraft barely missed destroying the famous Mt. Palomar Observatory.
1958
14-JAN-1958, #53-6240 (B-47E): Crash-landed short of runway on approach. Aircrew safely egressed. [More information needed]
28-JAN-1958, #51-2220 (B-47B): Landing gear collapsed on landing, wing broke-off, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
20-JAN-1958, #51-7052 (B-47E): Outrigger landing gear tire burst in mid-air and knocked-out 2 engines, and made an amergency landing; was a write-off. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed. Sadly, one of the aircrew (Lt. Robert C. Huber) was later killed on board another B-47, in the 14-SEP-1960 mid-air collision.
31-JAN-1958, #52-0242 (B-47E): Landing gear collapsed on take-off, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed. A nuclear bomb was on board; it didn't detonate, but instead melted into slag in the intense heat of the fire. This account also holds the crash occured in in French Morocco.
05-FEB-1958, #52-0388 (B-47E): Exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 3 missing and presumed dead.
05-FEB-1958, #51-2349 (B-47B): Collided in mid-air with F-86L Sabre #52-10108, but recovered and landed safely; was a write-off. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed. F-86L Sabre #52-10108 also crashed; pilot was killed instantly. B-47B #51-2349 was carrying a live nuclear bomb, which was jettisoned and fell somewhere into a river in the US... and has never been found.
08-FEB-1958, #50-0053 (JTB-47B): Engine failed on take-off, stalled, and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact. The pilot informed the control tower of the engine failure on the take-off roll, but the improper response gave him the impression that he should proceed. In addition, the aircraft was not properly fuelled, and was unknowingly too heavy to take-off.
26-FEB-1958, #52-0720 (RB-47E): Wheel door broke-away and jammed a control surface on approach, lost control, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. Narrowly missed crashing into a gasworks.
27-FEB-1958, #52-0181 (B-47E): Ran out of fuel on approach and crashed short of runway. 3 aircrew egressed, but were injured. 1 aircrew was killed on impact.
28-FEB-1958, #53-6204 (B-47E): Struck on the tarmac by a droptank accidentally jettisoned by B-47E #53-6216, caught fire, and burned up. No aircrew aboard. 2 ground crew were killed, and 2 were injured.
11-MAR-1958, #??? (B-47): "Crashed". 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact. [More information needed]
13-MAR-1958, #51-2104 (B-47B): Broke-apart on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
13-MAR-1958, #50-0013 (TB-47B): Wing snapped-off in mid-air and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact. Was the 9th B-47B.
21-MAR-1958, #52-0244 (B-47E): Wing snapped-off in mid-air and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
25-MAR-1955, #52-0742 (RB-47E): Couldn't see the runway on approach in a dust storm, and crashed short of the runway. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact.
10-APR-1958, #52-0470 (B-47E): Exploded during AAR. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly.
15-APR-1958, #52-0562 (B-47E): Improperly-set fuel control panel settings shut-down egines on take-off, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
15-APR-1958, #52–0235 (B-47E): Flew into a tornado after take-off. Aircrew of 4 missing and presumed dead.
24-APR-1958, #52-0322 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed on impact. [More information needed]
11-JUN-1958, #53-1931 (B-47E): Improperly directed by GCA on a night approach and crashed into a mountain. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. Blamed on "disorientation" and "loss of control" in the official report.
11-JUN-1958, #50-0031 (TB-47B): Lost control during landing in a strong crosswind, wing struck the ground, and crash-landed. Aircrew safely egressed. [More information needed]
14-JUL-1955, #52-0421 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
25-JUL-1958, #51-2206 (B-47B): Fuel systems failed in mid-air, and attempted to make an emergency landing; lost control and went into a flat spin on approach, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 ejected safely.
14-AUG-1958, #50-0045 (TB-47B): Exploded on the tarmac while being cannibalized for parts; ignited by a cutting torch. 1 aircrew safely egressed; 3 aircrew egressed, but were injured. 1 ground crew was killed, and 1 was injured.
19-AUG-1958, #53-2267 (B-47E): Canopy broke-off in mid-air at night, disintegrated, and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact. Had also suffered major instrument failure (attitude gyro) en-route to a tanker aircraft... whose director lights were inoperative. B-47E #53-2267 had just aborted approach to AAR before it broke-apart.
22-SEP-1958, #52-0726 (RB-47E): Made an improper approach, wing struck the ground, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
25-SEP-1958, #52–0276 (RB-47E): Swerved off runway, landing gear collapsed, engines torn-off, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
25-SEP-1958, #51-5219 (YDB-47E): Bounced hard on landing, careened off the runway, and collided with runway lights; was a write-off. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed. One of only 2 YDB-47Es built.
29-SEP-1958, #52-0744 (RB-47E): Bounced on landing and attempted to get airborne, but stalled and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
23-OCT-1958, #52-0402 (EB-47E): Pitched-up during RATO take-off due to improper refueling (nose too light) and instrument failure (fuel gauges), stalled, and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed. The fuel gauge displayed a figure 8000lbs lighter than what was actually in the forward fuel cells --- a problem which had been discovered in a previous flight, but was somehow ignored or forgotten.
04-NOV-1958, #51-2391 (B-47E): RATO bottle exploded take-off and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew killed on impact. Was carring a nuclear bomb, but it was recovered intact.
22-NOV-1958, #51-2199 (B-47B): Engine failed on take-off, veered hard, and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact.
26-NOV-1958, #53-4212 (B-47E): Aircrew on alert accidentally fired RATO bottles on the tarmac; aircraft was propelled off the runway and collided with a ground vehicle, caught fire, and burned-up. 2 aircrew were killed; 1 aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] 1 bystander was killed. Resulting fire destroyed a live nuclear bomb inside the bomb bay, causing major radioactive contamination, which was fortunately contained within the wreckage.
16-DEC-1958, #52-0247 (B-47E): Hydraulic leak sprung prior to take-off,, when hydraulic fluid pooled inside and engine and caught fire; attempted a go-around for an emergency landing, but fire burned through control cables, control systems failed, and crashed into the sea. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. Adding insult to injury, delcarations of an in-flight emergency and urgent requests for assistance by the aircrew were blotted-out by regular comms traffic, preventing ground control from learning about the emergency.
1959
05-JAN-1959, #51-7023 (B-47E): Wing dipped too hard to one side, struck the ground, and crashed. 3 aircrew egressed, but were injured; 1 aircrew was killed on impact. More information needed] Was the 5th B-47E. Was this a take-off, a landing, or a low-level flight? None of the sources clarify.
21-JAN-1959, #53-2035 (B-47E): Crashed short of runway on approach. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
03-FEB-1959, #52-3371 (B-47E): Engine caught fire on approach and crashed. 3 aircrew were killed; fate of 1 aircrew unknown. [More information needed]
11-FEB-1959, #53-6215 (B-47E): Crashed into the sea on take-off. 2 aircrew were killed; 1 aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
17-FEB-1959, #53-4208 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed] Was on a test flight.
24-MAR-1959, #52-3389 (RB-47E): Engine caught fire in mid-air and crashed into a mountain. Aircrew of 5 safely ejected. Why 5 personnel were aboard a 4-seat bomber was not explained on ASN? Ejection History states that this was the first event in which 5x personnel successfully escaped from an airborne B-47.
02-APR-1959, #53-2319 (B-47E): Engine caught fire in mid-air, another engine failed, and attempted an emergency landing; on approach, the burned-out engine broke-off and damaged the aircraft, lost control, and crashed short of runway. 2 aircrew ejected, but were killed anyway (one ejected too low; the other's chute tore on the wy out); 2 aircrew were killed on impact.
04-APR-1959, #52-0320 (B-47E): Crashed into a mountain on approach at night. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed] ASN says this occured after take-off, not on approach.
06-MAY-1959, #51-7041 (B-47E): Aborted take-off, but crash-landed, caught fire, swerved off runway, and burned-up. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew was killed on impact.
08-MAY-1959, #52-0179 (B-47E): Written-off in a runway accident. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
20-MAY-1959, #52-0491 (B-47E): Overran runway on landing and crash-landed. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
02-JUN-1959, #52-3344 (B-47E): "Crashed". 1 aircrew egressed, but was seriously injured; 3 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
04-JUN-1959, #51-2365 (B-47E): Caught fire in mid-air and crashed on approach to an ermergency landing. 1 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew egressed, but was mortally wounded; 2 aircrew were killed on impact.
11-JUN-1959, #53-2129 (B-47E): Engine exploded on the tarmac; was a write-off. Aircrew safely egressed. [More information needed]
01-JUL-1959, #51-15805 (B-47E): Crashed into the sea. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew missing and presumed dead. [More information needed]
08-OCT-1959, #51-5248 (B-47E): Crashed on RATO take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
08-OCT-1959, #57-0036 (B-47E): Crashed on RATO take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
21-OCT-1959, #52-0606 (B-47E): Missed runway on approach and crashed. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
21-OCT-1959, #52-0702 (RB-47E): Crashed into a lake. 1 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew survived; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
03-NOV-1959, #52-0205 (B-47E): Engine exploded in mid-air, caught fire, and crashed into the sea. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 3 aircrew missing and presumed dead.
17-NOV-1959, #50-0021 (TB-47B): Trim set improperly on take-off, lost control, nose-dived, and crashed into a school. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed] Many civilian bystanders inside the school were injured.
17-NOV-1959, #53-2136 (B-47E): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] According to Joe Baugher's USAF serials page, this was the 100th B-47 loss.
17-DEC-1959, #51-7082 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with an F-102A Delta Daagger #56-1473 and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew missing and presumed dead. F-102A Delta Dagger #56-1473 also crashed; pilot missing and presumed dead.
30-DEC-1959, #51-2261 (B-47B): Crashed on take-off. 4 aircrew were killed. [More information needed] Had been a YRB-47B.
??-??-1959, #??? (RB-47E): Stalled on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 3 ejected, but were killed anyway. [More information needed]
1960
01-JAN-1960, #51-5243 (B-47E): Landing gear collapsed on standing, and fuel poured out far across the tarmac (though there was no fire); was a write-off. Aircrew safely egressed. [More information needed] Interestingly, when the command post raised an alarm in response to this accident, the other aircrews started their engines and taxiied to the runway, assuming there was an alert; it's no small miracle that the engines on their aircraft didn't ignite the spilled fuel. Fueled RATO bottles and a live nuclear bomb were aboard, but none of these were damaged.
05-JAN-1960, #52-0566 (B-47E): Entered an unrecoverable spin during AAR and crashed. 1 aircrew ejected, but was injured; 3 aircrew were killed on impact. Blamed on "pilot error".
27-JAN-1960, #52-0814 (RB-47E): Careened off runway on landing; was a write-off. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
10-FEB-1956, #53-4283 (RB-47H): Stalled on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 6 were killed. [More information needed]
10-FEB-1960, #51-2256 (B-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed] Had been a YRB-47B.
18-FEB-1960, #51-5239 (B-47E): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
12-MAR-1960, #??? (B-47): Exploded in mid-air. Aircrew of 3 were killed instantly. [More information needed] 2 civilian bystanders on the ground were killed by falling wreckage.
18-MAR-1960, #51-7028 (B-47E): Suffered electrical failure on approach, and landing gear collapsed on landing; was a write-off. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed. Was the 10th B-47E.
31-MAR-1960, #52-1414 (B-47E): Broke-apart in mid-air; was overstressed during maneuvers. 1 aircrew safely ejected (technically, he opened his parachute when he suddenly found himself falling); 3 aircrew were killed instantly. 2 civilian bystanders on the ground were killed by the wreckage.
13-APR-1960, #52-0716 (RB-47E): Hydraulics failed in bad weather and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed on impact.
29-APR-1960, #53-4309 (RB-47H): Instruments failed on approach and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact. Aircrew is believed to have become disoriented, and not realized they had drifted onto crash course. Admittedly, I'm working on the *assumption* that the aircrew were killed on impact, as it's extremely unlikely that they bailed-out.
12-JUL-1960, #51-2274 (B-47B): Engine exploded in mid-air and crashed. Aircrew of 4 ejected safely. Had been a YRB-47B.
12-AUG-1960, #53-6227 (B-47E): Landed short of runway, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed. [More information needed] Still looking for a cause for this accident.
14-SEP-1960, #51-7047 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with B-47E #53-1967 and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed instantly. B-47E #53-1967 recovered and landed safely; was repaired and returned to service; aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
26-SEP-1960, #52-0047 (B-47E): Engine exploded in mid-air, entered an unrecoverable spin, and crashed into the sea. Aircrew of 3 ejected safely. 2x Coast Guard helicopters on SAR also crashed en-route to rescue the crew --- both due to mechnical failure. There's an old saying that "Bad things come in threes", and it was certainly the case on that day.
13-OCT-1960, #52-0556 (B-47E): Crashed on approach in a belly landing. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew egressed, but was seriously injured.
08-NOV-1960, #53-1886 (EB-47E): Multiple engines failed on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 5 were killed on impact.
1961
04-JAN-1961, #53-4244 (B-47E): Stalled on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. I'm assuming the aircrew didn't have a chance to eject, due to the low altitude and rapid rate of the accident.
09-JAN-1961, #52-0766 (RB-47E): Wing dipped too low on take-off, struck the ground, cartwheeled, and crashed. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact.
09-JAN-1961, #??? (B-47E): Crashed on landing. Aircrew of 3 fate unknown. [More information needed]
12-JAN-1961, #??? (B-47E): Struck a mountain in a low-level flight and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed on impact. [More information needed]
12-JAN-1961, #52-0533 (B-47E): Engine and autoliplot failed on take-off, lost control, and crashed. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew ejected, but was killed anyway (struck a tree).
22-FEB-1961, #??? (B-47E): Crashed during AAR. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 3 aircrew were killed; 1 aircrew missing and presumed dead. [More information needed]
24-FEB-1961, #53-2347 (B-47E): Engine broke-off in a low-level bombing run, lost control, and crashed. 4 aircrew were killed on impact.
21-APR-1961, #52-0475 (B-47E): Caught fire on take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
02-MAY-1961, #53-2331 (B-47E): Aircrew became disoriented in clouds during a botched bombing run and crashed. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew ejected, but was injured; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
18-JUN-1961, #53-2111 (B-47E): Engine caught fire on take-off at night and crashed. 1 aircrew survived; 3 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
19-AUG-1961, #52-0296 (B-47E): Engine exploded in a botched high-altitude bombing run, lost control, and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed instantly.
01-SEP-1961, #52-0423 (B-47E): Drag chute activated on take-off, struck power lines, and crashed into a field. Aircrew of 4 egressed, but were injured.
15-NOV-1961, #52-0347 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off in bad weather. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed] Aircraft entered clouds on ascent, then suddely plunged out of the clouds and crashed; was the cause instrument failure? Spatial disorientation?
27-NOV-1961, #53-1905 (B-47E): Engines failed on approach due to icing, and crashed into trees short of runway. 1 aircrew egressed, but was injured; 3 aircrew were killed on impact.
??-NOV-1961, #??? (B-47): Hydraulics failed in mid-air and made an emergency landing, and landing gear collapsed on landing; was a write-off. Aircrew safely egressed. [More information needed]
1962
05-JAN-1962, #52-0615 (B-47E): Overran runway on take-off and crashed into a fence. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact. [More information needed] Was the last fatal crash at March AFB (now March ARB) until 1978.
15-JAN-1962, #53-2119 (B-47E): Crashed into a mountain in a botched low-level bombing run. . Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed] Remains of one aircrew were never found.
20-JAN-1962, #51-2377 (B-47E): Fuel cell ruptured in mid-air, caught fire, and crashed into a hill. Aircrew of 3 ejected, but were injured.
15-MAR-1962, #53-6230 (B-47E): Fuel began gushing out of the aircraft on the tarmac during fueling, caught fire, and burned-up. 2 aircrew safely egressed; 3 aircrew egressed, but were injured. 6 firecrew were killed fighting the fire, and 18 others were seriously injured.
10-APR-1962, #52-0459 (B-47E): Broke-apart in mid-air. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed on impact.
06-JUL-1962, #53-6211 (B-47E): Multiple engines exploded in mid-air, overstressed, caught fire, and broke-apart. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
19-JUL-1962, #53-4218 (B-47E): Made an an emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion, but touched-down on the wrong runway, which was under construction; struck utility vehicles, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
23-JUL-1962, #52-0390 (B-47E): Crashed into a mountain on descent to a low-level flight. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. Cause was never determined.
03-AUG-1962, #52-0526 (B-47E): Fuel plumbing failed on take-off, one engine shut-down, and crashed into a golf course. Aircrew of 3 were killed on impact.
22-AUG-1962, #52-0553 (B-47E): Crashed into a mountain in a low-level flight. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
09-SEP-1962, #53-4234 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 2 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
26-SEP-1962, #51-7027 (B-47E): Multiple engines caught fire on take-off and crashed into the sea. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew ejected, but was killed anyway. [More information needed]
27-SEP-1962, #53-4279 (RB-47K): Engine fell-off on RATO take-off and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. Blamed on "pilot disorientation", but actual cause was found to be imrpoperly mixed water/alcohol fuel in the RATO boosters.
27-OCT-1962, #53-6248 (RB-47H): RATO boosters failed on take-off and crashed. Aircrew 4 were killed on impact. Incorrect ratio of water to alcohol had been mixed by the ground crew and pumped into the RATO bottles. Was the second-to-last B-47 ever built.
11-NOV-1962, #53-4297 (RB-47H): Engine failed on take-off and couldn't get airborne; too late to abort, overran runway, and crash-landed. 3 aircrew were killed on impact.
1963
11-JAN-1963, #53-2097 (B-47E): Encountered a serious problem on take-off, and attempted an emergency landing, but suddenly exploded in mid-air before touchdown. 2 aircrew ejected safely (prior to the go-around); 1 aircrew was killed instantly.
05-FEB-1963, #53-2134 (B-47E): Engine failed on approach creating asymmetrical thrust situation, lost control, and crashed. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew ejected, but was killed anyway (ejection seat malfunctioned, and didn't launch correctly).
20-FEB-1963, #52-0563 (B-47E): Engine failed in a low-level flight and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. 2 aircrew attempted to eject, but the ejection system failed.
07-MAR-1963, #53-4226 (B-47E): RATO boosters failed on take-off and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely. 1 aircrew ejected, but was killed anyway (ejection system malfunctioned and fired incorrectly). The lap belt of the deceased failed because a gas port hole wasn't drilled when it was manufactured.
03-MAY-1963, #52-0051 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with a KC-135, went into a flat spin, and crashed into a forest. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 3 aircrew were killed on impact. ID and type of KC-135 wasn't given in the report, but it landed safely without casualties, and was repaired and returned to service.
11-JUL-1963, #53-2160 (B-47E): Suffered electrical problems on take-off and attempted an emergency landing, but lost control on approach and crashed. 1 aircrew was killed on impact; 3 aircrew safely egressed.
19-AUG-1963, #??? (QB-47E): Lost control on approach in bad weather, struck the runway and porpoised, served off the runway, and crash-landed on a highway. Unmanned drone. [More information needed] 2 civilian bystanders in cars on the highway were killed, 1 more was injured, 4 firefighters arriving at the scene suffered injuries from smoke inhalation, and several cars were destroyed.
19-AUG-1963, #53-6206 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with B-47E Stratojet #53-2365 and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew was killed instantly.
19-AUG-1963, #53-2365 (B-47E): Collided in mid-air with B-47E #53-6206 and crashed. 3 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew ejected, but was killed anyway.
10-NOV-1963, #51-2420 (WB-47E): Lost control on emergency landing and careened into parked C-97C #50-0690. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed. C-97C #50-0690 was also destroyed; no aircrew aboard.
1964
05-FEB-1964, #53-1868 (B-47E): Landed short of runway, landing gear collapsed, 3 engines broke-off, caught fire, and burned-up. Aircrew of 3 fate unknown. [More information needed]
06-FEB-1964, #52-0366 (B-47E): Overran runway on take-off in bad weather (thick fog), landing gear collapsed, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
27-MAR-1964, #52-0321 (B-47E): Crashed into a farm on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed] 2 civilian bystanders (both were children) and many farm animals on the ground were also killed. Was the 5th B-47 loss out of Little Rock AFB since 1959.
21-APR-1964, #51-7049 (WB-47E): Crashed on take-off. 3 aircrew were killed; fate of 2 aircrew unknown. [More information needed]
26-MAY-1964, #53-2296 (B-47E): Struck by B-47E #52-0525 while parked and destroyed. 4 aircrew were killed instantly.
26-MAY-1964, #52-0525 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. 2 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew egressed, but was seriously injured (severe burns) 1 aircrew safely egressed, but was inadvertently killed by rescuers (drowned by fire retardant foam). [More information needed] Parked B-47E #53-2296 was damaged by debris from this crash. Lt (C) Robert E. Johnson, the copilot who was seriously burned, made a full recovery and returned to flight status... only to be killed later in a C-130 crash.
03-JUN-1964, #53-2363 (B-47E): Caught fire on the runway while taxiing and exploded. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed (just before the explosion!).
27-JUL-1964, #53-2366 (B-47E): Aircraft failed to accelerate properly on on take-off roll and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
02-DEC-1964, #53-2398 (B-47E): Landing gear collapsed in a hard landing, swerved off runway, and crash-landed. Aircrew of 3 safely egressed.
08-DEC-1964, #52-0339 (B-47E): Crashed into a forest on take-off. Aircrew of 4 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
1965
26-FEB-1965, #52-0171 (B-47E): Collided during AAR with with KC-135 #63-8882, exploded, and crashed into the sea. Aircrew of 4 were killed instantly. Fate of KC-135 #63-8882 also exploded in mid-air in the collision; aircrew of 4 were killed instantly.
03-APR-1965, #53-2320 (EB-47E): Lost control in crosswinds on approach and crashed. 3 aircrew safely egressed; 1 aircrew egressed, but was mortally wounded; 2 aircrew were killed on impact.
21-JUL-1965, #52-0160 (B-47E): Landing gear failed in mid-air and made a belly landing; was a write-off. Aircrew of 4 safely egressed.
29-DEC-1965, #53-4261 (NRB-47E): Crashed on take-off. Aircrew of 2 were killed on impact. [More information needed]
1966
11-FEB-1966, #53-1824 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
23-JUN-1966, #53-2391 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
23-JUN-1966, #53-6233 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
23-JUN-1966, #53-6237 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
23-JUN-1966, #53-2367 (B-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
05-DEC-1966, #51-2397 (WB-47E): "Crashed". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
1967
20-JUN-1967, #51-2366 (WB-47E): Crashed on landing. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
1968
No losses?
1969
No losses?
1970
No losses?
1971
No losses?
1972
No losses?
1973
No losses?
1974
No losses?
1975
No losses?
1976
No losses?
1977
No losses?
1978
No losses?
1979
No losses?
1980
No losses?
1981
No losses?
1982
No losses?
1984
No losses?
Unknown dates
Unknown Date, #51-2184 (DB-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
Unknown Date, #51-2315 (B-47B): "Written-off". Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
Conflicting accounts
These circumstances surrounding these four B-47 losses differ too drasically between the available sources to determine which one is correct. As such, they will have their own category under the "Causes and/or components" section below, listed as "Disputed cause".
Forgotten Jets version;
17-SEP-1959, #51-2126 (B-47B): Caught fire on the tarmac and burned-up. Aircrew fate unknown. [More information needed]
ASN version;
17-SEP-1959, #51-2126 (B-47B): Engine exploded in mid-air and craught fire, but recovered and landed safely; was repaired and returned to service. Aircrew of 5 safely egressed (larger aircrew due to this being a training mission). Capt. James D Diamantople, the pilot, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 13th. February 1960 at McConnell AFB (the first DFC awarded at this Base) for his incredible skill and heroism in helping save his crew and his aircraft.
Ejection History version;
13-JUL-1956, #52-0572 (B-47E): Engine exploded in mid-air and caught fire, but recovered and landed safely. Aircrew of 5 safely egressed. [More information needed] Same aircrew as mentioned by ASN, but Capt. Diamantople's decoration was not.
Joe Bauer version;
13-JUL-1956, #52-0572 (B-47E): Tire blew on take-off roll, overran runway, crash-landed, and exploded. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
Forgotten Jets and ASN version;
14-JAN-1960, #52-0498 (B-47E): Crashed on take-off. 2 aircrew were killed; fate of 2 aircrew unknown. [More information needed]
Ejection History version;
14-JAN-1960, #52-0498 (B-47E): Crashed while buzzing the tower. 2 aircrew survived; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
Joe Baugher version;
14-JAN-1960, #52-0498 (B-47E): Crashed on landing. 2 aircrew survived; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
Forgotten Jets and ASN version;
24-FEB-1961, #53-2169 (EB-47E): Engine fell-off in a low-level bombing run and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
Ejection History version;
24-FEB-1961, #53-2169 (EB-47E): Lost control during a night AAR in bad weather and crashed. 1 aircrew ejected safely; 1 aircrew ejected, but was killed anyway; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
Joe Baugher version;
24-FEB-1961, #53-2169 (EB-47E): Engine fell-off in a low-level flight and crashed. Aircrew of 4 were killed. [More information needed]
Forgotten Jets and ASN version;
29-OCT-1958, #52-0824 (RB-47E): Stalled in mid-air during simulated engine failures, entered a flat spin, and crashed into a field. Aircrew of 3 were killed. [More information needed]
Joe Baugher version;
29-OCT-1958, #52-0824 (RB-47E): Spun-out in mid-air and crashed. 2 aircrew ejected safely; 2 aircrew were killed. [More information needed]
Major accidents
These are a few incidents involving the B-47 Stratojet that didn't involve an airframe loss, but did involve casualties or serious damage. E.g., worse incidents than a B-47 simply suffering a single engine failure, or a stiff control surface.
23-APR-1956, #??? (B-47): Engine fell-off in mid-air, but recovered and landed safely; was repaired and returned to service. No casualties reported. [More information needed]
11-MAR-1958, #53-1876 (B-47E): Nuclear bomb broke-loose from it's fastenings inside the bomb bay, fell through the bay doors, and impacted in a small town; non-nuclear detonation resulted (fissile core not loaded). B-47E #53-1876 recovered and landed safely; was repaired and returned to service; aircrew of 3 safely egressed. 5 civilians were injured and private property was damaged by the blast.
23-MAR-1960, #51-2154 (B-47B): Accidentally fired 20mm tailgun on the tarmac during electrical circuit testing, and resulting gunfire literally blew someone's head off; no damage to aircraft. No aircrew involved. 1 ground aircrew was killed, obviously. Had been a YRB-47B.
Combat losses
18-APR-1955, #51-2054 (YRB-47B): Shot-down by VVS Mig-15 Fagot over the USSR. 3 aircrew ejected, but were never found.
01-JUL-1960, #53-4281 (JRB-47H): Shot-down by a VVS Mig-19 Farmer over the USSR. 4 aircrew were killed instantly; 2 aircrew ejected, but were captured.
28-APR-1965, #53-4290 (RB-47H): Struck by gunfire from a KPAF Mig-17 Fresco over North Korea, but recovered and landed safely; was a write-off from irreparable battle damage. Aircrew of 6 safely egressed.
Losses by year...
1947: 0
1948: 0
1949: 0
1950: 0
1951: 12
1952: 8 (20)
1953: 17 (37)
1954: 20 (57)
1955: 32 (79)
1956: 25 (104 lost; 100th B-47 loss was this year)
1957: 31 (135)
1958: 34 (169)
1959: 25 (194)
1960: 17 (211 lost; 10% of all airframes; 200th B-47 loss was this year)
1961: 15 (225 lost after 10x years of service)
1962: 15 (271)
1963: 10
1964: 10 (291)
1965: 4 (295)
1966: 6 (301; 300th B-47 loss was this year)
1967: 1
1968: 0
1969: 0
1970: 0
1971: 0
1972: 0
1973: 0
1974: 0
1975: 0
1976: 0
1977: 0
1978: 0
1979: 0
1980: 0
1981: 0
1982: 0
1984: 0
????: 2
________________________________________
Total: 303 --- 14.9% of all airframes
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